Reasons for turning down a promotion: 5 common causes and how to say no

Choosing the right candidates for promotion is one of a manager’s most hallowed responsibilities. A big promotion is the holy grail of immediate career development. Seeing a colleague rise up the ranks can light a fire under your employees by showing that hard work pays off. So, why is it that some employees decline these offers? 

The fact is, there are plenty of reasons for turning down a promotion. Many of them don’t stem from a lack of drive or commitment at all. So, let’s break down some common reasons why employees don’t want to be promoted.

This article was originally published March 19th, 2023, and has since been updated.

Why employees don’t want to be promoted

• Stressed out employees have enough on their plates
• Anxious employees doubt their own abilities
• Being promoted can affect work/life balance
• When is a promotion not a promotion?
• Disengaged employees have no incentive to commit

5 reasons people turn down promotions

1. Stressed-out employees have enough on their plates

Unmitigated job stress is one of the biggest killers of engagement and productivity in the workplace. Beyond being one of the best reasons for turning down a promotion, overwhelming job stress can lead to burnout.

Burned-out employees will inevitably reconsider their place in the business. In fact, last year, research from Gallup found that 76% of employees experienced burnout at least sometimes, with 28% experiencing it very often or always. A further 20% reported experiencing burnout rarely, meaning that only 4% of employees never feel burned out at work.

It’s a good impulse to want to reward people for powering through the most stressful points of the year. But you might want to refrain from immediately trying to promote someone. A candidate may already feel like they’re being pushed to their limit. At that point, the last thing they’ll want is to take on more responsibility. 

An employee turning down a job offer because of stress doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll never want to advance. It just means you should see how they feel after a holiday, or during a quieter point in the year. You might also win them over by highlighting the support you can offer, and if it’s a manager role, their ability to delegate tasks.

Pros	Cons
Protects the employee from burnout and health issues	Slows short‑term career progression
Preserves current performance and reliability	Can be misread as a lack of ambition
Signals self‑awareness and realistic capacity limits	May delay access to higher pay or influence

What managers should do

• Reduce pressure before revisiting progression by rebalancing workload, or responsibility scope.
• Make support visible by clarifying what help, delegation, flexibility, or resourcing comes with the role.
• Reopen the conversation at a quieter point, such as after time off or a peak period ends.

TL;DR: Work stress pushes employees to their limits. Even if they want to advance, they might decline for fear of burnout. Highlighting support options and delegation opportunities might make them reconsider.

2. Anxious employees doubt their own abilities

To say that anxiety isn’t fun is a massive understatement. And what’s more anxiety-inducing than a promotion you don’t feel ready for? Turning it down. ‘How do I say no to a promotion?’ is a question we hear a lot. In fact, our article on the topic is one of our most enduringly popular, so it’s clearly a common issue.

One of the simplest reasons for turning down a promotion is self-doubt.

Much like their stressed-out colleagues, anxious employees can the pressure and responsibilities a promotion can bring. Again, this doesn’t mean they aren’t committed. And it certainly doesn’t mean they’re trying to duck out of hard work. Anxiety about being promoted usually means they don’t think they have the right skills or knowledge to fill the position effectively.

You might be able to bring them around by highlighting their strengths and achievements. Or perhaps by supporting their efforts to upskill into the role. But, even if they still say no, it’s important not to write them off in the future. Just because an employee isn’t ready now doesn’t mean they never will be.

Pros	Cons
Prevents the employee from stepping into a role they feel unprepared for	Can stall confidence and career momentum
Reduces the risk of early failure or overwhelm	May reinforce imposter syndrome if unaddressed
Signals honesty about current skill gaps	Can be mistaken for avoidance or low ambition

What managers should do

• Acknowledge capability gaps openly and connect them to concrete development options.
• Reinforce confidence by pointing to specific achievements and evidence of readiness.
• Offer a staged path forward, such as interim responsibilities or targeted upskilling.

TL;DR: Anxious employees doubt their capability to fill a higher position. Highlighting their strengths and providing personalized upskilling can help them reconsider.

3. Being promoted can affect work/life balance

For a lot of us, the balance between work and our home lives is quite fragile. Maybe it’s due to personal commitments, like children. Or maybe you have interests, hobbies or personal goals that take up what free time you have. As reasons for turning down a promotion go, it’s one that employees can feel understandably nervous about openly sharing due to accusations of laziness or lack of commitment. 

CIPD’s UK Working Lives Survey had over 5,000 respondents. 60% reported working longer hours than they wanted. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as 25% reported overworking by at least 10 hours a week. 26% admit that work affects other personal commitments, and 24% report struggling to relax outside of work because they can’t switch off.

An optimist would say that career advancement comes with more control over your hours. But that’s a sweeping generalization. Taking on a serious management position usually means taking on more serious responsibilities. Even if that does include setting shift patterns, it’s not without obligation. So, if an employee protecting their mental health and long-term wellbeing means declining a promotion, then so be it.

Pros	Cons
Protects mental health and long‑term wellbeing	Limits short‑term career progression
Preserves capacity for personal commitments outside work	May reduce visibility or perceived commitment
Helps prevent overwork and disengagement	Can delay access to higher pay or flexibility later on

What managers should do

• Clarify the real demands of the role, including hours, expectations, skills needs, and trade‑offs.
• Explore flexibility options such as adjusted scope, phased responsibility, hybrid work, or role design.
• Reassure employees that protecting balance now does not close the door on future progression.

TL;DR: Although stepping into a leadership or management role can give employees more control over their working hours, it also comes with greater obligations. You can provide flexibility or delegation opportunities, but people may still decline for the sake of their wellbeing.

4. When is a promotion not a promotion?

That’s not a riddle, but a serious question. A very cynical person could describe workplace promotions as an easy way to get employees to do more work. But promotions generally come with an increase in earnings and greater authority, so obviously, that’s not true.

Except when it is.

A 2018 survey found that 39% of employers frequently offer promotions without pay increases. What’s initially more mind-boggling is that over 60% of employees would accept them. Men aged 18-34 were the most likely demographic to accept a promotion without a pay increase.

Piling more work on someone without offering more in exchange shows that you don’t value their contributions. Don’t feel too smug if your employee accepts an awful deal from you. There’s a good chance it’s just because the job title will look good on their next application to a different company.

That’s especially true when you consider that people between 18 and 34 are fairly likely to be trying to advance their careers. Of all the reasons for turning down a promotion, this is one that you can’t argue with. Compensate your high performers fairly, or you’ll lose them to your competitors.

Pros	Cons
Avoids taking on extra responsibility without meaningful reward	Misses out on a new title or short‑term visibility
Protects the employee from feeling undervalued or exploited	Can slow formal career progression
Sends a clear signal about expectations and self‑worth	May create short‑term frustration or disengagement

What managers should do

• Ensure promotions come with clear, tangible value, including pay, authority, perks, or scope.
• Be transparent about compensation limits before offering the role.
• Treat declined offers as feedback on role design, not a loyalty issue.

TL;DR: If the promotion you offer doesn’t come with increased compensation, don’t be surprised if it’s rejected. If they accept, it might just be to help their resume when they leave you for greener pastures.

5. Disengaged employees have no incentive to commit

So, we’ve talked about various reasons for turning down a promotion. We’ve also highlighed why they shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a lack of commitment to, or respect for, the business. But now, it’s time to talk about employees who don’t want to be promoted because of a total lack of engagement.

Disengaged employees feel little sense of obligation in their role beyond what they have to do to get paid. There probably isn’t attachment to their colleagues unless they’re the only thing keeping them around. And there’s definitely no attachment the business at large. It might be tempting to blame these employees for their own lack of engagement. It’s easy enough to write them off as a bad fit for your workplace culture.

But don’t forget that, more often than not, it’s managers who should bear the blame. They account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement. After all, no employee plans to become the boss they hate. And, if that’s the case, then of course they don’t want a promotion.

Tools such as a regular employee check-in, meaningful 1:1s, employee recognition processes and effective performance conversations can all help to improve employee-manager relations.

Pros	Cons
Avoids promoting someone who lacks motivation or connection to the role	Signals a deeper engagement problem that can’t be ignored
Prevents disengagement from spreading into a leadership position	Limits the employee’s growth and future options
Creates a clear trigger for addressing underlying issues	Increases the risk of attrition if left unresolved

What managers should do

• Treat the refusal as a warning sign and explore root causes through honest 1:1 conversations.
• Reset expectations by reconnecting the role, obligations, goals, and recognition to what actually motivates the employee.
• Address management behaviors that undermine engagement, including feedback quality and follow‑through.

TL;DR: Disengaged employees already struggle with commitment, so why would they increase that commitment by accepting a promotion? Your best bet is to improve their relationship with management with two-way feedback, regular recognition, active support, and timely performance management.

How to turn down a promotion but keep the door open

Conversation template

Manager: We’d like to offer you the promotion.

You: Thank you. I really appreciate the trust and the offer. I’ve thought about it carefully, and I don’t feel ready to take this step just yet. I want to keep strengthening my impact in my current role before moving up.

Manager: I get that. What if we set a six month review and look at it again then? We can be clear on what growth we want to see.
You: That sounds fair and helpful. I’d welcome a six month check in and clear goals to work toward.

Manager: Great. We’ll treat this as a pause, not a no.

You: I appreciate that. I’m excited to keep building and revisit this together.

Email template

Subject: Promotion Opportunity

Email body

Hi [Manager Name],

Thank you for the promotion offer and the confidence behind it. After careful thought, I don’t feel ready to take on this role right now. I’m focused on continuing to grow in my current position and doing my best work here. I’d welcome revisiting this in the future and discussing timing when it makes sense.

Best,
[Your Name]

Career development process alternatives

Here’s a quick rundown of how to offer professional growth without forcing a title change:

• Upskilling: Skills training ensures your top performers don’t feel they’re hitting a professional dead-end, while giving them the capabilities needed to be ready for promotion in the future.
  
• Project ownership: A new level of responsibility that can be a one-off if they don’t take to it. Project ownership is a great trial run before you actually promote someone.
  
• Mentorship: Assigning a mentor exposes an employee to new responsibilities and areas of the business while giving them insights and education from an already proven leader.